By Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor, Podcast Host Published Apr 23, 2015 at 6:30 PM

You’re going to want to mark June 20 on your calendar. Seriously.

Purple Door Ice Cream is hosting its first annual flavor contest from 1 to 4 p.m. at the shop at 205 S. 2nd St. in Walker's Point.

In the meantime, you’re going to want to wrack your brain to concoct amazing flavor combinations that you'd like to see on the Purple Door menu, and then submit them for the contest.

All you need to do is print out a submission form or pick up a form at the shop. Fill it out and return it (in person, not by email) to the Purple Door scoop shop before Sunday, May 10 at 9 p.m.

If your idea makes it to the list of 12 flavor finalists, it will compete in the contest on June 20. 

During the event, community members will be allowed to taste the 12 flavors and vote for the best one. Winners will be announced at the end of the day, and the ice cream flavor that receives the most votes will become a permanent flavor on Purple Door's rotating menu.

Tickets for the flavor tasting and voting event are $10 and include 12 flavor samples and a ballot for voting. Additional flavor samples can be purchased for $1 each.  Tickets are on sale May 25-June 20 at the Purple Door scoop shop.

"Having a community event like the Flavor Contest is really what feeds us as business owners," says Lauren Schultz, owner of Purple Door. "Your customers and neighborhood get to be a part of one the most creative aspects of owning an ice cream shop, creating an ice cream flavor. It's one of our favorite roles as owners of Purple Door and we are thrilled that we can invite our customers into that process. It will be a really cool way to bring people together and just have fun!"

Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor, Podcast Host

Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. 

When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.